The forward returns for his fourth year with the program after sitting out last season.
Pitt's William Jeffress (toe) has been fully cleared for all basketball related activities, per Jeff Capel. DNP last season. Averaged 3.4 PPG and 3.3 RPG and started 16 games during the 2021-22 season.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) June 15, 2023
Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Jeffress missed all of last season after suffering a foot injury in September. In 2021, the 6’7” forward averaged 3.4 ppg and 3.3 rpg in 21 minutes per contest. It was a frustrating season for Jeffress, who was initially only supposed to be out a month and a half. But the timeline kept getting pushed back until he was ruled out for the season. Despite not being able to contribute on the floor, Jeffress was a consistently one of the most active supporters from the bench.
Celebration sequence by Will Jeffress
— Cardiac Hill (@PittPantherBlog) February 2, 2023
1st 3: The Shh
2nd: The Chest Pound
3rd: The "It's Good" transitioning into The Windmill
Incredible stuff, H2P pic.twitter.com/RwgDHaAJsl
In a college game now dominated by transfers, players like Jeffress who literally grow up with a program are still invaluable. Despite a lot of player movement in the transfer portal era, the most recent NCAA Champions featured mostly homegrown talent. Jeffress will be asked to provide excellent perimeter defense once again, a role he played well in 2022. The key will be to see how his offensive game develops. I’m curious to see how a year of being around wing bucket-getters like Hinson and Burton has helped him.
Pitt has had a fairly successful offseason in the transfer portal and adding another veteran player can only help. Other than the Jeffress injury, Pitt stayed healthy for the most part last season, which was a huge factor in their return to prominence. The good news is that Pitt will be even deeper next season. They will once again be a joy to watch and cover.
Hail to Pitt.
